I suffer from that syndrome Adam Driver has. The one where he rather walk out of an interview with Terry Gross because she played one of his movie clips. We’re literally the same. You know sans the millions and the devastatingly handsome jawline. I empathize with the feeling that comes from of reading or hearing my own creative work, which is errr just yikes. Whenever I do I feel like looking back opens a huge can of worms so I try to never read anything after I post it.
Today I realized I wrote about 20 volumes of my newsletter and I’ve decided to revisit them. Because what is life without a little discomfort. And the moment you’ve all been waiting for. After reading the most bizarro into, here is my recipe of Spiced Plum Cake.
Spiced Plum Cake That’s Kinda Perfect
What you’ll need: 🍰
- 190 grams all-purpose flour, (no heaping measures)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 ground star anise (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 200 grams plus 25 grams sugar, divided*
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 120 ml milk (you can use plant-based milk or yogurt)
- 2-3 ripe plums for topping
- 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
*I also made a version of this cake with only 100gr of sugar and though it is not as sweet it is much more balanced. However, the cake is not as fluffy.
Method: 🥄
First, preheat oven to 175°C/350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan (if you have a springform one, better! use it instead.)
Second, slice up the plums and put them in a bowl, cover them with the maple syrup, and pop them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes so they can stew a little bit.
Third, mix your dry ingredients:
in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, and salt.
Fourth: In the bowl or in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or whatever you use to make your cakes), add the softened butter and cream with sugar, until fluffy. This usually takes around 4 minutes.
Fifth
Add the first part of your wet ingredients: add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. This batter is very thick.
Sixth: Transfer the batter to the pan with butter and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with the plums and maple syrup. I like the maple syrup because it makes the top part chewy and sticky and sweet. If this isn’t your vibe, change the maple syrup for sugar to make it more of a crumbly texture. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on top.
Seventh: Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center. To test the cake, use a toothpick to stab the cake an angle, if the toothpick comes out wet, the cake is not yet done.
Eighth: Right when you take the cake our of the oven, run a butter knife around the edges of the pan and then remove it from the pan to a cooling rack, flip it so the plums are side up. Let it cool on the rack completely.
Ninth: Slice a piece and enjoy!